Child & Family Worker - Solutions Service

Posting date:	22 April 2026
Salary:	£29,540 to £32,061 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	29 April 2026
Location:	Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1AB
Company:	West Sussex County Council
Job type:	Contract
Job reference:	CAFHE06257_1776844694

Summary

About Us

Here at West Sussex County Council, we are ambitious for our children and our workforce. We are committed to improving our services for the children and families in West Sussex we support. You will join us as at a key time on our improvement journey. The work we have started includes establishing a new and experienced leadership team driving forward our 'Children First' improvement plan.

We don't underestimate the work that still needs to be done and the challenge ahead. That's why we need professionals, like you, who really want to be part of the positive change that is happening. Be part of an ambitious improvement plan and make a significant difference to children and families in West Sussex. There's never been a more rewarding time to join.

For further information about us and about working in Children's Social Care at West Sussex County Council, please visit Careers in children's social work in West Sussex.

About The Job

Salary: £29,540 to £32,061 per annum

Working Pattern: Full time - 37 hours per week
Contract: Fixed Term Contract - 12 months

Location: Based at County Hall North, Horsham

We are seeking a dedicated Child and Family Worker to join our Solutions service based in Horsham.

You will develop and offer a creative range of services for older children and their families to meet needs as identified e.g. undertaking direct work and purposeful interventions with children, young people, parents / carers, families and groups, and delivering support packages or specific programmes.

You will be part of a team that supports and strengthens families in caring for their own children or prepare for and support children that have been living in the care of the local authority to return to live within the family.

Solutions is a countywide service working with children and their families from 8 to 18 years. The service will support and work with families where children are living at home to help prevent entries to care or to reconnect and reunify a cared for child with their family or extended kinship network aiming to:

• Help families stay together
• Help families reconnect and get back together
• Help utilise strength-based approaches which support children, young people, and families/carers in building their own plans and ways forward
• Help children, young people, and families/carers to build resilience
• Help carers establish the right conditions to enable stability and confidence
• Help deliver a service to children and young people where there has been an identified need for early intervention emotional wellbeing/mental health support

You will also support and promote work with children, young people and their families, where children are currently living in long term care placements/environments. Working alongside Children we Care for teams where a potential permanence plan for reunification has been agreed.

We have teams based in Horsham and Worthing although much of the service provision will be in the community and in family homes. There will be a requirement to work flexibly across a 37-hour week to suit the needs of a child and their family with availability to work outside of normal working hours (9am-5pm), weekends and bank holidays.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to organise and present information clearly, concisely, and accurately in ways that promote understanding, both verbally and in writing, including the ability to persuade and successfully convince others of the need to take a specific course of action and gain the trust of service users.
• Ability to analyse and interpret information in order to manage casework with children / young people and their families, assessing needs, setting objectives and reviewing progress.
• Ability to engage and intervene in partnership with children/young people, their families, and other external agencies in order to effect positive and lasting change. Ability to work in an empowering way, focusing on collective strengths and resources, e.g., using a solution focused approach, and responding flexibly to diverse groups and service users whilst maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload, co-ordinating a range of tasks in a clear and logical way to meet agreed deadlines, whilst working towards clear goals. Able to reflect on own practice and learn from experience, taking responsibility for proactive professional development.
• Ability to maintain clear, accurate records of all work undertaken and produce case reports and correspondence for a variety of audiences including meetings, conferences, court panels and other agencies.

Qualifications, knowledge and experience:

• GCSE English and Maths, or equivalent qualification or experience operating at this level of literacy and numeracy.
• QCF Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce (or equivalent), or demonstrable equivalent comparable experience.
• An understanding of systems, procedures and policies relevant to Children's Social Care e.g., child protection and safeguarding procedures, practice and policy. Desirable
• Knowledge and understanding of the development of children and young people, and age-appropriate behaviour.
• An understanding of a range of interventions that can be used with children, young people and families to achieve change.
• Sound and accurate IT knowledge e.g., Microsoft Office, in order to produce written reports.
• Experience of providing advice and guidance to others.
• Significant experience of using a range of direct work interventions in working with children, young people and their families.
• Experience of working with children/young people and their families in crisis or complex situations. Desirable
• Experience of working in a Social Care Environment. Desirable
• Experience of forming effective working relationships within a multiagency setting.
• Requirement to communicate in English with members of the public. (Essential)
• Valid and full driving licence. (Essential)

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached. Please refer to the key skills in your cover letter as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06257.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Megan Harper (Team Manager) at for issues or queries regarding your application please contact .

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and cover letter. In your cover letter outline your motivation for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role, ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the above details and job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check. You must be able to travel throughout the county including to locations that are not always accessible by public transport.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact .

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.