Early Days in Custody - Family Support Worker
| Posting date: | 23 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £14,244.75 per year |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 07 July 2026 |
| Location: | Stockton-On-Tees, County Durham |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Nepacs |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | NEP/EDIC/0626 |
Summary
Nepacs is a regional charity which supports positive futures for prisoners and their families.
We are seeking to recruit a Family Support Worker for Early Days in Custody to support prisoners and families during the critical first weeks following imprisonment, helping to address issues such as family contact, visits, safeguarding concerns and the impact of imprisonment on children and dependent adults. The relevant post holder will:
• Liaise closely with Nepacs’ staff and volunteers in court and the helpline, to identify when
potentially vulnerable individuals are coming into custody and notify healthcare, chaplaincy as
appropriate. Offer to visit on the wing when family support issues arise and telephone friends or
relatives if required.
• Liaise closely with prison reception and respond promptly to ensure that appropriate external
agencies are notified (with consent) when vulnerable individuals (children or dependent adults)
are ‘left behind’ following a prison sentence e.g. schools, social services.
• Work with the prison and other professional agencies as appropriate, to provide support to
prisoners with regard to family issues; contact with children or relationship issues, in
accordance with prison’s rules and procedures regarding security, safeguarding and public
protection.
• Support prisoners and their families to arrange, and prepare for, their first prison visit
• Contribute to case work meetings (case discussion, support and guidance) appropriately and
share information to support risk management objectives, to include locally agreed access to
community-based support services such as Children’s Services.
• Refer in to other Nepacs’ activities to support family ties such as family visits, homework clubs
and youth project outreach activities.
• Ensure that Nepacs’, prison and local authority safeguarding policies are adhered to at all times
and that children feel welcomed, valued and safe.
• Support the recruitment, vetting, training, and supervision of placements of volunteers drawn
from local communities and/or student placements
• Ensure that casework is appropriately documented at all times (on both prison and Nepacs’
systems), and compile monthly project reports
• Adhere to Nepacs policies and prison security policies and rules at all times.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required
Please note: This role is subject to enhanced DBS and prison security checks.
We are seeking to recruit a Family Support Worker for Early Days in Custody to support prisoners and families during the critical first weeks following imprisonment, helping to address issues such as family contact, visits, safeguarding concerns and the impact of imprisonment on children and dependent adults. The relevant post holder will:
• Liaise closely with Nepacs’ staff and volunteers in court and the helpline, to identify when
potentially vulnerable individuals are coming into custody and notify healthcare, chaplaincy as
appropriate. Offer to visit on the wing when family support issues arise and telephone friends or
relatives if required.
• Liaise closely with prison reception and respond promptly to ensure that appropriate external
agencies are notified (with consent) when vulnerable individuals (children or dependent adults)
are ‘left behind’ following a prison sentence e.g. schools, social services.
• Work with the prison and other professional agencies as appropriate, to provide support to
prisoners with regard to family issues; contact with children or relationship issues, in
accordance with prison’s rules and procedures regarding security, safeguarding and public
protection.
• Support prisoners and their families to arrange, and prepare for, their first prison visit
• Contribute to case work meetings (case discussion, support and guidance) appropriately and
share information to support risk management objectives, to include locally agreed access to
community-based support services such as Children’s Services.
• Refer in to other Nepacs’ activities to support family ties such as family visits, homework clubs
and youth project outreach activities.
• Ensure that Nepacs’, prison and local authority safeguarding policies are adhered to at all times
and that children feel welcomed, valued and safe.
• Support the recruitment, vetting, training, and supervision of placements of volunteers drawn
from local communities and/or student placements
• Ensure that casework is appropriately documented at all times (on both prison and Nepacs’
systems), and compile monthly project reports
• Adhere to Nepacs policies and prison security policies and rules at all times.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required
Please note: This role is subject to enhanced DBS and prison security checks.