Family worker jobs in East of england

Family Support Worker – Thames Valley

£24,000 pa + Company Car (with an approx. retail value of £23,000-26,000, taxable benefit in kind of £6-£8K) and other excellent benefits

Thames Valley and surrounding areas.

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.

About the role:

We are looking to appoint a Family Support Worker on a full-time basis (35 hours, 5 days per week) to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Thames Valley Care Team to families in the local area, at a time where they need it most.

Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the Thames Valley Care Team and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness. You will enjoy responsibility for managing your own schedule, remaining flexible to the needs of the families on your caseload.

Having worked in a stressful and emotional environment you have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.

This role covers Thames Valley and surrounding areas. The role does require travel, however you have the freedom to plan your own diary around the demands of both the families you are working with, your team, and also any personal appointments you may need to attend.

What we’re looking for:

· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care

· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly

· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines

· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)

· A persuasive and open communicator - you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates

· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.

What we offer:

We are proud to be a Best Companies Two-Star rated organisation, an outstanding place to work! As a Top 10 Charity, we have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:

• Control over your own schedule, based on the needs of families on your caseload, to balance home and working life

• Company car for front line care posts (car P11D value of £23,000-26,000, taxable benefit in kind of £6-£8k)

• Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%

• 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)

• The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping

• Time off in Lieu

• Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year

• Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand

• Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts

• Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes

• A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme

• Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth.

If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our why work with us page on our website.

More information about us and our recruitment process can be found in our Candidate Pack on our website.

Development opportunities:

As part of our learning and development Anne Harris Skills Development Programme, we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be their best and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

As part of our learning and development Anne Harris Skills Development Programme, we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be their best and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

Our Family Support Teams are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, introduction to play, drawing and talking training.

The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs.

About us:

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.

How to apply:

Please visit our website and apply online.

Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Additional information:

Interviews will take place at our Thames Valley Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.

There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.

Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Part time Children and Families Worker to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Service in Merton.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

The role focuses on building positive and supportive relationships with women and their children, empowering them to work towards their goals through a strengths-based approach. This includes creating, implementing, and reviewing personalised support plans in collaboration with service users and external agencies, while also advocating on their behalf when needed. Key responsibilities involve assisting mothers with parenting skills, signposting them to appropriate services, and offering targeted support to families facing issues such as domestic abuse. Ensuring the safeguarding of children and maintaining confidentiality at all times are central to the role, alongside working within relevant policies and procedures.

Additionally, the position emphasises the importance of children's development and wellbeing by providing educational, recreational, and interactive play opportunities both during term time and holidays. Service users and children are encouraged to actively participate in shaping projects through consultations, feedback, and creative engagement. The role also involves promoting community involvement by networking, fundraising, and collaborating with statutory and voluntary organisations. Ultimately, the work contributes towards the five key outcome areas: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying and achieving, making a positive contribution, and achieving economic wellbeing.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

Here's what the team will be looking for

This role is restricted to female applicants under Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010 due to the nature of the work.

It requires someone who can bring optimism, resilience, and a non-judgemental, anti-discriminatory approach when supporting women and children. A calm manner, empathy, and compassion are essential, particularly when working with service users who have experienced trauma or domestic abuse. The role demands the ability to engage directly with families in a supportive, constructive way, while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality at all times.

In addition, the post holder must be skilled in partnership working with statutory, voluntary, and community agencies to achieve the best possible outcomes for families. Strong problem-solving abilities, accuracy in processing and sharing sensitive information, and a clear understanding of safeguarding responsibilities are vital. The role also requires flexibility to travel between service premises and to accompany clients when necessary. Success in this position relies on being able to manage responsibilities effectively within a structured and often pressured environment, while always keeping the wellbeing and empowerment of families at the centre of practice.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

Barnardo's Virtual Family Space Cymru is committed to empowering Parents and Carers with a variety of virtual resources, workshops, and parenting programmes to support their parenting journey. As we expand our service reach into Wales, we are seeking experienced Welsh speaking facilitators to join our team. 

Role Overview: 

This is a Welsh language essential Project Worker role. The role will include the option for evening and weekend sessions. This role is Hybrid working but mostly from home with expectations to attend some face-to-face meetings and training. Your base for expenses purposes will be the service closest to your home.

This is an evolving role and one of the responsibilities will be to provide a variety of both one to one support sessions to carers and group workshops for parents of children, such as Sleep and Toddler Talk, along with parenting programmes such as The Cygnet programme, or similar. The role will also involve some signposting for parents and carers following completion of a ‘brief assessment' to ensure the right advice and signposting takes place. This role fundamentally will be able to support our parents with any concerns they may have regarding our support offer.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Deliver one to one support to carers
• Deliver effective workshop sessions and parenting programmes. 
• Collaborate with parents, carers, and children in the development of our services. 
• Signpost Parents and Carers to the correct services following discussions around needs. 
• Adapt delivery methods to meet the diverse needs of participants. 

Requirements: 

• Proven experience of working with families one to one and or in groups 
• Understanding and sensitivity to the challenges faced by families. 
• Ability to work flexibly, including some evenings and weekends as required. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Proven experience of evidencing outcomes for parents and carers. 
• Experience with Additional Needs and early years desirable, but training will be provided. 
• Spoken and written Welsh language skills 
• Some evening and weekend work required 

Application Process: 

In your application, please refer to your skills, knowledge, and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description, and Additional Information document provided. Highlight your experience in delivering services, detailing any relevant examples. Also, please specify the number of hours per week you are available. 

Additional Information: 

We are keen to engage with applicants, offering Welsh-language sessions. If you have the expertise and want to be part of a new team with ambitious goals, please apply.

Barnardo's is an inclusive organisation that values diversity and is committed to equality. Apply today to make a meaningful impact on the lives of families and young people.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date.  We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible