Child and Family Support worker
| Posting date: | 27 September 2024 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £24,395 to £31,131 per year |
| Additional salary information: | + 26 Day Holiday & Local Gov DC Pension |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 07 October 2024 |
| Location: | Harlow, Essex, CM20 2ET |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Essex County Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | req18040_1727444552 |
Summary
Child and Family Support worker
Permanent, Full Time
£24,395 to £31,131 per annum
Location: Harlow
Closing Date: Tuesday 8th October 2024 at 11.59pm
The working days and hours for this role are 9am - 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am - 4.30pm Friday. There will be occasional weekend work and evening work. We operate a system of toil if additional hours are worked.
Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!
The Opportunity
Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.
Support Workers work within a frontline service, working collaboratively with Qualified Social Workers to deliver bespoke, targeted intervention work, in accordance with the care plans, to vulnerable children and families. This also encompasses supervising Family Time. This work will normally be time limited, with measurable impact and meet the assessed needs.
Educated to Level 3 or with activity based alternative experience, in a social care setting, you will be passionate about engaging with and providing direct support in the community, building strong working relationships with partners to jointly deliver improved services.
Accountabilities
- Responsible for supporting social workers to implement safety plans and monitor care plans, and write reports where required, which deliver interventions for children and families.
- Responsible for maintaining high standards of professional practice which contribute to continuous improvement across the service.
- Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a child.
- Building strong, effective relationships with the service users, providing practical advice and support, where necessary and deemed appropriate; enabling children and families to sustain change and function effectively within the community.
- Work collaboratively across the service, with internal and external professional partner agencies, to ensure improved outcomes for children and families.
- Provide information and advice in relation to involvement/accessing of third party agencies relevant to the needs of the service user (e.g. benefits agencies, immigration and housing).
- Participate in meetings, reviews, case conferences and court hearings to provide information, insight and evidence.
- Writing effective reports which could be used in professional meetings, forums and court.
The Experience You Will Bring
Essential:
- Educated to NVQ/BTEC Level 3 or equivalent experience.
- Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children and families in times of challenge and crisis.
- Experience of observing, facilitating, and reporting on Family Time.
- Experience of undertaking direct, activity based work with children and families where required.
Desirable:
- Knowledge and understanding of the issues impacting children, young people and families, leading them to require support.
- Knowledge of legislative and policy guidance applicable within Social Care settings.
- Proven track record of working with partners and external agencies.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and in-depth knowledge in relevant professional area.
- A certificate in First Aid and/or knowledge of Sign Language is desirable in this role.
The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.