6 Children and families worker jobs in Bristol

Please note: In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, we are unable to accept CV's and ask that you complete the application form instead This can be found to download further down this page.

Application deadline: Wednesday 30th September 2026 (5:00 pm)

Proposed Interview Date(s): Tuesday 27th and Thursday 28th of October 2026

**Please make sure you can be available on the proposed interview date as it is very difficult to offer an alternative**

About The Role

Are you an experienced Youth Worker? Are you passionate about improving wellbeing outcomes for young people? Are you looking to develop your practice and training around young people’s mental health?

We are currently seeking five Trainee Wellbeing Practitioner’s to join our Youth Services team based in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. You will work within Creative Youth Network as part of the Youth Services team, delivering, high-quality, evidence-based interventions for children and young people experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behavioural difficulties.

This is a 1 year training role within the Children and Young People’ Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme (CYP IAPT). You will attend Exeter University for all university based taught and self-study days required by the education provider, and work in the service for the remaining days of the week using your newly developed skills. Your travel and accommodation to Exeter University will be provided for you as part of the trainee programme.

You will then be based at The Station (BS1) or Kingswood Estate (BS15) sites with up to two evening open access sessions per week. The training and service experience will equip you with the necessary knowledge, attitude and capabilities to operate effectively within the wider service.

Please note - One of the five Trainee Wellbeing Practitioner roles is LGBTQ+ focused and is in partnership with Diversity Trust. For that role we recognise the value of lived experience and encourage applications from members of LGBTQ+ communities.
Please apply via the other listed vacancy (Trainee Wellbeing Practitioner LGBTQ+) for that specific role.

About Us

Creative Youth Network is an award-winning charity with a mission to enable young people to reach their potential, no matter what their background or circumstances. Operating across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, we offer a range of services ranging from our 9 local youth clubs, to targeted support for young people with specific needs, work within schools (in particular for young people at risk of disengaging from education), and an exciting range of creative courses, programmes and activities, including early career support for young people embarking on careers in the creative sector. Our services are rated “Outstanding” by the National Youth Agency.

This role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

To Apply

A full Job Description and Application form are available to download below and via our website where you can also apply. 

The Benefits

• 33 days annual leave (inc. bank holidays) per year pro rata
• Excellent family friendly policies
• A generous pension scheme
• A cycle to work scheme
• Paid breaks
• Fantastic development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Virtual GP consultation and medical advice service

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Creative Youth Network is committed to inclusivity, equality, and equity. We pride ourselves on giving opportunities to people of all walks of life and all class backgrounds. This includes people who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, are early in their careers or come from groups who experience racial inequality.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented, including people from Global Majority backgrounds (often referred to as BAME – Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic).

As an employer we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our staff.

Adjustments

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments or support to attend an interview — for example, wheelchair access, extra time for assessments etc. - please let us know.

We are looking for experienced social workers to help take the Weekenders programme into its next chapter. You will join a small, ambitious charity and play a central role in growing a relational, child-focused programme across England.

THE OPPORTUNITY 

• Salary: starting from £40,000, subject to experience

• Hours: full time, 37.5 hours per week

• Location: home-based within England, with regular team co-working and travel

• Contracts: one permanent post and two 18-month fixed-term posts

• Flexibility: occasional evening or weekend delivery, usually around once per month

• Travel: across England, including occasional overnight stays; reasonable expenses are covered

ABOUT NOW FOSTER

Now Foster brings together social work, service design, lived experience and innovation to transform fostering in England. Our vision is to bring many more wonderful people into fostering so that more children and young people can experience stable, meaningful relationships with caring adults.

We are a small team with big ambitions. We value creativity, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement, and we work with partners who share our determination to do better for children and families.

ABOUT WEEKENDERS 

Weekenders is our flagship programme. We recruit and support weekend foster carers – known as Weekenders – who build regular, long-term relationships with children and young people supported by local authorities. It is about showing up, making a difference and becoming an adult a young person can count on.

The programme is entering an exciting period of growth. We are expanding our partnerships with Regional Care Cooperatives, Fostering Hubs and local authorities across England, currently including London, the South West, North West and North East.

THE ROLE – Lead delivery, develop people and stay close to practice

As a Weekenders Programme Manager, you will turn our ambition into consistently excellent delivery. You will lead the day-to-day support of applicants across an agreed portfolio of areas, making sure prospective Weekenders receive a warm, responsive and motivational experience and that our partners can rely on us to deliver what we have agreed.

This is a people-management and delivery role with a strong connection to practice. You will line-manage Journey Guides, manage a network of independent social workers (ISWs), lead our prep group training and undertake some intro chats yourself.

The role does not carry a statutory caseload. It does carry real responsibility for safeguarding, practice quality, operational oversight and relationships across a growing, geographically distributed programme.

Delivery Leadership: Lead programme delivery

• Take day-to-day responsibility for Weekenders delivery across an agreed portfolio of Fostering Hubs and local authority partners.

• Turn partnership agreements and local processes into clear applicant journeys, with roles, handovers and timescales understood by everyone involved.

• Plan capacity across Journey Guides, ISWs, prep group training and your own direct work so that delivery keeps pace with demand.

• Monitor applicant progress, identify delays or risks early and work with colleagues and partners to find practical solutions.

• Maintain a consistent Now Foster experience across regions while adapting thoughtfully to local contexts.

People Management: Manage and develop Journey Guides

• Provide reflective one-to-one and group supervision, clear objectives and timely feedback.

• Allocate work fairly, monitor workloads and create the structure needed for responsive applicant support.

• Coach Journey Guides in relationship-based, strengths-based and motivational conversations, using observation, role play and practice review where helpful.

• Support sound judgement, safe practice and professional boundaries, addressing performance or wellbeing concerns early and constructively.

• Build a connected team culture in which people share learning, ask for help and take ownership.

Practice Oversight: Manage ISWs and assure practice quality

• Build and maintain a reliable pool of qualified, registered ISWs to undertake initial home visits and teach on prep group training days.

• Coordinate ISW recruitment, onboarding, availability, allocation and briefing in line with our safer recruitment and practice arrangements.

• Set clear expectations for the quality, timeliness and tone of home visits, written outputs, training and feedback.

• Review quality, provide constructive feedback and address concerns promptly, while forecasting capacity and arranging cover.

Training: Plan, staff and lead prep group training

• Own the planning and delivery of prep group training across programme areas, including schedules, venues or online delivery, materials, communications and staffing.

• Facilitate and teach on prep groups, modelling inclusive, relational and reflective practice.

• Brief and support ISW co-facilitators so sessions are coherent, well-paced and grounded in the realities of fostering.

• Make sure applicants can reflect meaningfully on children's needs, safer caring, trauma-informed care, cultural matching and working with fostering services.

• Ensure observations and training feedback are recorded sensitively and on time, and use feedback to strengthen future delivery.

Relationships: Stay close to applicants and partners

• Undertake some intro chats, particularly where additional experience, judgement or continuity is needed.

• Step into complex applicant situations or difficult conversations without taking over work appropriately held by Journey Guides.

• Develop trusted operational relationships with Fostering Hubs, Regional Care Cooperatives, local authority fostering teams and other partners.

• Work through differences or blockages constructively, combining persistence with curiosity about other people's pressures and perspectives.

Programme Addurance: Safeguarding, quality and improvement

• Promote a strong safeguarding culture and ensure concerns are recognised, recorded and escalated appropriately.

• Maintain accurate, timely records and use pipeline data, feedback and practice observations to understand performance and improve delivery.

• Contribute to the development of tools, guidance, communications and digital workflows as Weekenders grows.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR – Experience, judgement and a strongly relational approach

Essential

You will need a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England. Beyond that, we are looking for someone who can combine strong practice judgement with people leadership and operational oversight.

You will thrive in this role if you have

• People-management experience – line-managing, supervising or developing staff, including giving feedback and supporting performance and wellbeing.

• Operational leadership – experience leading a service, programme or complex workflow with multiple people, deadlines and handovers.

• Children's services experience – in fostering, children's social care or a closely related setting, with a sound understanding of safeguarding and professional accountability.

• Training confidence – experience planning and delivering engaging adult learning, workshops or group training.

• Partnership skills – experience building productive relationships across organisational boundaries and working through operational challenges.

• A relational approach – able to hold warm, purposeful and appropriately challenging conversations with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

• Strong organisation and judgement – able to prioritise, delegate, manage dependencies and recognise what needs closer oversight or escalation.

• Digital and data confidence – comfortable using CRM and workflow systems, interpreting delivery information and turning insight into action.

The way you work matters

• Children first – you keep children's needs, relationships and long-term outcomes at the centre of decisions.

• Warm and reflective – you build genuine relationships, remain curious about your own impact and welcome feedback.

• Courageous and accountable – you name concerns, make decisions, follow through and own mistakes.

• Collaborative – you share learning generously while maintaining clear accountability.

• Adaptable – you are comfortable in a small, ambitious organisation where roles and systems continue to evolve.

Bonus points for

• Lived experience of the care system.

• Training or experience in motivational interviewing, systemic practice, coaching or another relational approach.

• Experience of foster carer recruitment, initial visits, assessment, prep groups, panel or post-approval support.

• Experience commissioning, coordinating or quality-assuring ISWs, associates or other independent practitioners.

• A practice educator, adult-teaching or training qualification, or substantial equivalent experience.

• Experience scaling a service across regions or working with a dispersed team and multiple delivery partners.

• Project, budget, contract, risk or resource-management experience.

• Experience of co-production, service design or continuous improvement.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU

Joining Now Foster means being part of something different. We are small, ambitious and innovative, and you will have genuine influence over how Weekenders grows. You will stay close to practice and impact without carrying a statutory caseload.

You will join a supportive, collaborative team that cares about doing excellent work in a sustainable and humane way. We work a 37.5-hour week and trust people to manage their time with balance. The programme sometimes requires evening work, weekend training days or travel, and we flex working time around those commitments.

• Salary from £40,000.

• 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

• Home-based working with regular co-working and team days.

• Travel and reasonable work expenses covered in line with Now Foster policy.

• The tools and technology you need to work effectively.

• Workplace pension scheme

• The opportunity to help build a bold, lasting and more relational approach to fostering.
   

We know strong candidates do not always meet every desirable criterion. If the purpose of the role excites you and your experience gives you a strong foundation for the essentials, we encourage you to apply.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS – Key dates and how to apply

• Applications close – Sunday 20 September 2026 at 23:30
• First-round interviews – Online planned for Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 September 2026
• Role play – For candidates progressing to the second round, before the second interview. 30 mins, completed online with one of our Weekenders.
• Second-round interviews– In person planned for Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October 2026 (reasonable travel expenses covered)

Early application is encouraged. We may close the advert before 20 September if we receive a sufficient number of strong applications.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply through the Charity Jobs listing by the closing date. Candidates invited to interview will receive further information about the format and preparation in advance.

You must have the right to work in the UK. Appointment is subject to current registration with Social Work England, a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check and our other safer recruitment requirements.

We recognise that candidates may use generative AI tools to support their application. This is acceptable, but your application must remain an authentic reflection of your own experience and motivation. Please tell us if and how you used AI as part of preparing it.

As a small charity unfortunately we do not have capacity to respond to unsuccessful candidates or offer feedback at the application stage. Please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion if you do not hear from us before the interview dates.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY 

Now Foster is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences. Recruitment decisions are made using fair, objective and transparent criteria, and we will make reasonable adjustments so the process is accessible.

If you want to help grow a pioneering programme, develop a thoughtful team and create more lasting relationships for children and young people, we would love to hear from you.

COMMUNITY PROJECTS WORKER

OASIS NORTH BRISTOL

HOURS: 8 HOURS PER WEEK (0.2FTE)

CONTRACT: 12 MONTH FIXED TERM CONTRACT (Extension dependent on funding)

SALARY:  £5,673.80 per annum (FTE £28,369 pa for 1FTE)

Want to develop, coordinate and manage a food insecurity and community cohesion project offering a diverse range of activities and support for the local community?

Want to enable families and local residents to thrive?

Want to lead a dynamic, passionate and impactful team of volunteers?

Oasis’ vision is for community, a place where everyone is included, making a contribution and reaching their God-given potential.  We have an exciting opportunity for a Community Projects Worker to join Oasis North Bristol. Our Community Projects Worker will work with families and residents across the community to develop positive activities and services which promote a sense of belonging and help break the cycle of disadvantage.

We’re looking for an individual who has a passion for supporting families and adults, and developing community led activities. The role will involve supporting families and adults in the community, but also families in our local Oasis academies, inspiring and enabling local people to be an active voice and developer in their local area.

Key responsibilities include:

· To work with the Youth & Community Lead and other team members/partners as required to create and implement a strategy and vision for our food insecurity work.

· Ensuring effective financial management and income generation to sustain and expand services

· Managing and growing a team of volunteers, ensuring alignment with Oasis’ ethos and values.

· Building strong partnerships with local stakeholders to support the delivery of impactful community projects.

· Work directly with families and the wider community in a non-judgemental way empowering them and their families to get the most out of the opportunities available.

· Create opportunities for families and the community to get involved in shaping and delivering the work of the community projects.

· Developing and maintaining monitoring and evaluation frameworks to demonstrate the impact of activities.

· Ensure compliance with health and safety, safeguarding, and other statutory requirements.

The successful post holder must have:

· Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive working relationships.

· Good standard of basic education, including English and Maths Level 2

· Proven experience of community work as a volunteer or professionally

· Experience of managing and working with volunteers

· Ability to build long lasting, positive relationships with both young people and adults

· A commitment to the Oasis ethos and values, including inclusion, equality, and perseverance.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing national organisation, making a real difference to communities on a local level. As part of the package, Oasis offers:

As part of the package, Oasis offers:

· A pension scheme, offering 7% employer contribution.

· A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays).

· Policies which promote well-being and are family friendly.

To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages).

Please expand on your CV to tell us about relevant skills, experience and qualification you have, that relate to the job description and person specification.

Completed applications should be returned by 9am Wednesday 23rd September 2026.

Interviews will take place Thursday 1st October 2026.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

We appreciate you may wish to use AI to support elements of your application but we strongly encourage all candidates to submit applications that genuinely reflect their own skills, achievements and lived experiences. It's what makes your application stand out!

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 1163889

Youth Programmes Officer – West Midlands 

SALARY: £18,731 pro-rata including holiday pay, based on a working pattern of 30hrs/week across 4 or 5 days, and 39 weeks/year. £26,700 FTE

LOCATION: Homebased with travel within West Midlands (mainly Wolverhampton and Telford) 

HOURS: 30hrs a week, working term time only (39 weeks/year).The hours and days of coverage may be negotiable for the right candidate and experience. 

CONTRACT: Permanent

Ideal opportunity if you enjoy working with young people and want to help them be the best they can be. 

Flexible and rewarding position within a dedicated and supportive team, working together to develop teamwork, leadership, and employability skills that inspire the next generation to aim high. 

Are you looking to join an exciting organisation that’s truly making a difference?

The Jon Egging Trust are seeking a highly motivated individual with experience of working with young people, to plan and deliver inspiring teamwork, leadership and employability programmes in the West Midlands. The role involves liaising with school staff, local partners (including the Military and local businesses) and volunteers to ensure programmes meet the needs of our young people and is supported by the Regional Manager, Midlands. You will be joining a fantastically motivated and committed team of workers who are all passionate about improving the lives of young people through our specialist youth programmes.

The successful candidate will be based from home with a requirement to travel to partner schools and business sites in and around Wolverhampton and Telford. Fuel expenses are paid and travel time is included as part of working hours. Working with secondary schools to provide early support programmes, core delivery time is usually within the school working day and during school terms only. All other working hours can be managed with flexibility by the post holder to ensure that all administrative tasks are completed as required.

Across the JET team we cultivate a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe that our differences enable us to be a better team – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation, and delivers better outcomes for our young people. We welcome applicantswhatever your background and whatever your stage in life, so if you arereturning to the workforce after a period away,or even seeking a change of pace, please get in touch. 

About the Jon Egging Trust (JET)

At JET, we support vulnerable young people to get back on track and realise their potential; more than 30,000 young people right across the UK to date, and there’s so much more we can do. We’re an organisation that really values its people and we’re immensely proud that our team culture is based on caring and raising each other up.

Our benefits package includes:

• Flexible working

• Enhanced annual leave

• Homeworking allowance 

• Occupational pension scheme

• Occupational sickness scheme

• Special paid leave provision

• Enhanced family leave 

Download the Candidate Information Pack 

Read our Applicant Privacy Notice 

Child and adult at risk protection policy statement 

The Jon Egging Trust is committed to providing a safe and positive environment for everyone involved in its services and activities. The Trust takes its extended moral and legal duty of care very seriously in relation to children, young people, staff and volunteers. We seek to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all children and to protect them from harm or abuse when they engage in any of our activities.JET expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees or volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. 

To apply 

Please complete our online application form. LINK TO ATS 

The closing date is Sunday 13th September at 23.30 hrs 

Formal Interviews to be held via Teams plus an in-person session delivery at one of our partner schools in West Midlands week commencing 21st September 2026, location to be confirmed.

Questions? 

Contact through our website. 

Please note:

Due to our anonymised recruitment process, if your application is not shortlisted, we are unable to provide personalised feedback. 

To become an employee at JET, you must be able to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK and a satisfactory DBS check – enhanced with children's barred is required for this role. 

As part of our safer recruitment process, all candidates invited to a final interview will also be required to complete a confidential self-disclosure form, which allows any relevant information to be discussed in line with our safeguarding policy. 

About Us
Young Life International is a fast-growing Christian charitable organisation. Our aim is to share the message of Jesus with young people all over the UK. We do this through building relationships with them and earning the right to be heard.

Our Operations team strives to help our staff and volunteers to thrive by anticipating, developing and delivering excellent operational services and our Finance team focuses specifically on providing excellent financial services in a Christ-centred way.

About the Role
As the Finance Co-ordinator you will build good relationships with the wider staff team and be a friendly and knowledgeable source of advice for all queries relating to finance. As a key member of the team, you will be the primary user of many existing processes, and will be the key person in implementing new systems we are planning to enable us to be more efficient. You thrive on knowing you are using both your numerical and organisational skills and your relational skills to support others.

More Details and How to Apply
Download the Application Pack for the following information:

• Welcome from the Operations Director

• How this role fits into the wider YLI and Operations Team

• Full Job Description and Person Specification

• Details of how to apply online (application form)

• Deadline and interview dates

• YLI Faith and Conduct Policies - check we're in alignment with one another's beliefs

Accessibility & Support 

We want to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any reasonable adjustments or accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know. You can reach out to us in confidence at the email in our application pack, and we will be happy to support you.

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