Child and Family Support Worker

Permanent, Full Time

£21,057 to £27,391 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 24th June 2021

Job Purpose

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 frontline teams to support the delivery of effective Children's Social Work. Undertaking a range of direct activity, one to one or groupwork providing practical, personal and emotional support that meets the assessed needs, promotes improved health, physical, mental and social development.

Educated to Level 3 (NVQ or BTEC is desirable) or with activity based alternative experience, in a social care setting and experience of building strong effective relationships.

Service/Functional Accountabilities

• Responsible for supporting social workers and occupational therapists to undertake activity and interventions, which support the plan for the child, young person and family, including supervised contact activity.
• Build strong, effective relationships with the child, young person and family which support relationship and strengths based social work practice. Maintain high standards of professionalism which contribute to the level of confidence in Children's Social Care.
• Responsible for highlighting issues and implementing plans to safeguard a child.
• Liaise and work collaboratively with internal and external professional partner agencies as relevant to the case (eg. Occupational Therapy, Schools, Health, Mental Health), to gather accurate information that informs assessment and decisions about the plan for the child.
• Provide information and advice in relation to involvement/accessing of third party agencies relevant to the needs of the child, young person and family (e.g. benefits agencies, immigration, housing), where necessary acting as an advocate.
• Contributes to meetings, reviews, (case conferences and court hearings as appropriate to the service) to provide information which builds understanding of the child's needs.
• Record work and activity in accordance with Children & Families policies and procedures, including case records on Mosaic.
• Work collaboratively across the service, with internal and external professional partner agencies to contribute to the overall work and success of the team and ensure improved outcomes for children and families.
• Deliver support in accordance with the plan, as agreed by the case holding Social Worker where appropriate, this will normally be time limited, with measurable impact.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Educated to RQF Level 3 (A Level/NVQ/BTEC) or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and in-depth knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children and families in times of challenge and crisis.
• Experience of undertaking direct, activity based and group work with children and families.
• Knowledge and understanding of the issues impacting children, young people and families, leading them to require support.
• Knowledge of Children's Act 1989 and 2004 and other legislative and policy guidance applicable within Social Care settings.
• Proven track record of working with partners and external agencies.
• 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.