Family Support Worker
Maternity Cover up to 12 months
£24,000 pa + Company Car and benefits (including 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)
Essex and surrounding areas, including Romford, Ilford, Harlow, Loughton, Chelmsford
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 for a fixed term period of up to 12 months, on a full time basis (35 hours per week) to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Essex Care Team.
Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the Essex 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.
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.
Location:
This role covers Essex and surrounding areas, including Romford, Ilford, Harlow, Loughton & Chelmsford.
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 have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:
· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life
· 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
· Company car for front line care posts
· 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)
· Time off in Lieu
· 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
· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year
· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%
· 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
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 website.
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, counselling skills, introduction to play.
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 via the link and apply online.
Interview Date to be confirmed
Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.
Interviews will take place at our Essex Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful. If you require any adjustments during the interview process, please let us know.
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. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.
At WeSwim, we support disabled adults to swim in welcoming, inclusive volunteer run clubs across London. For many of our swimmers, the water offers a new freedom, easing pain, building confidence, and opening up new ways to move and connect.
We’re now looking for a Cubs and Community coordinator to help keep our swim sessions running smoothly and our community growing well.
This role is about people, organisation and care. You’ll coordinate weekly swim sessions, support swimmers throughout their journey with WeSwim, and make sure the behind-the-scenes admin is handled accurately and calmly. You’ll play an important role in welcoming new swimmers into our community, building relationships with other third-sector organisations, managing waiting lists, and helping ensure our clubs remain active and well-attended.
You’ll get to know our swimmers as individuals ensuring that we can continue to create an experience where people feel supported and welcomed. No two weeks will look the same, but every week will be full of purpose.
This is a part-time role (15 hours per week), ideal for someone who is highly organised, people-focused and motivated by inclusion, community and impact. You don’t need to be a swimmer but you do need to care creating inclusive spaces where people can thrive.
Every session you support helps people who struggle to access mainstream swim sessions to exercise,to feel more confident and benefit from the WeSwim community.
Key Responsibilities:
Club Operations & Coordination
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Coordinate weekly swim sessions, including booking swimmers and liaising with pool partners.
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Act as the main day-to-day contact for clubs, supporting swimmers, volunteers and committee members.
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Spot and resolve operational issues, escalating where needed.
Swimmer Membership & Support
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Manage swimmer onboarding from application to first session.
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Monitor swimmer attendance and respond to queries or concerns.
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Maintain accurate and up-to-date swimmer information.
Swimmer Recruitment & Outreach
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Build relationships with third-sector organisations to support referrals and recruit new swimmers.
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Undertake outreach to maintain a healthy flow of new swimmers into WeSwim clubs.
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Manage swimmer waiting lists and support smooth onboarding into sessions.
Administration, Data & Monitoring
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Maintain club records, including membership data and attendance logs.
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Monitor attendance and impact data to support reporting.
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Use systems and tools to keep club administration efficient and organised.
Communication & Relationships
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Communicate clearly with swimmers, volunteers and committees via email, WhatsApp and other channels.
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Liaise with external partners such as pool staff and local stakeholders.
Diversity and Inclusion: We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, and abilities. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, people from the Global Majority, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and those underrepresented in charity employees. We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our decision-making and help us better serve our community.
Location: This job is London based. Your work will mostly be from home but you will be required to visit one of our London Clubs at least once a month. Please only apply if you have the right to work in the UK and are based within easy reach of London.
Join us in making a difference to increase opportunities for disabled people to swim in London.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.


