River Garden: Family Support Worker

Please note Simon Community Scotland are recruiting on behalf of River Garden. This role will be located in River Garden, Auchincruive KA6 5AE

People are at the heart of what we do at River Garden, helping people take their next step toward a positive future. We’re looking for people who share our values and want to bring the best of themselves to support people to become the best of themselves. The Family Support Worker role is a vital part of the support team at River Garden, where you will help build and nurture a therapeutic community of recovery.

Your primary goal is to support families throughout their entire journey, from pre‑assessment to returning to their home and community.

Core

Purpose:

To provide a dedicated, compassionate, and professional link between residents and their families. This role ensures that families are not just “visitors” but are an empowered and supported part of the long‑term recovery process.

• Coordinate Visits: Act as the primary point of contact for arranging on‑site visits, ensuring they are therapeutic, safe, and structured.
• Maintain Communication: Proactively update families (with resident consent) on progress and milestones, ensuring that the 'distance' of residential rehab doesn’t lead to a breakdown in relationships.
• Bridge the Gap: Use digital tools or letters to maintain connections for families who live far away or have travel constraints.

• Resource Navigation: Help families access local services in their own areas, such as financial advice, housing support, or local support groups (e.g., Al-Anon or Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs).
• Hardship Support: Identify families struggling with the practical costs of visiting or the impact of a loved one being in treatment, providing direct support or referrals to alleviate these pressures.
• Managing Expectations: Families and significant others need a realistic “script” for what recovery looks like—including the fact that it is rarely a straight line and that 'slips' can be part of the learning process.
• Move On Support: Working with families and others alongside the resident to prepare for homecoming, practicalities, expectation, trigger warnings and access to support.

• Addiction
  
  Education:
  
  Deliver workshops or 1‑to‑1 sessions for families to help them understand the mechanics of addiction, the reality of relapse, and the stages of recovery.
• In‑House Counselling: Provide or facilitate low‑intensity counselling support for family members to process their own trauma and “caregiver burnout.”
• Boundary Setting: Support both residents and families in establishing healthy boundaries and communication styles to prevent old “enabling” patterns upon discharge.
• Safe Spaces: Facilitating safe places/support to express anger, fear, and exhaustion without feeling they are “betraying” the resident.

• Policy Compliance: Ensure all family interactions adhere to River Garden’s safeguarding policies and the Equality Act 2010
  .
• Impact Reporting: Maintain accurate records and contribute to reports that showcase the impact of family involvement on resident outcomes.

Essential
:
Working with families in a social care, addiction, or mental health setting.

Desirable
:
Experience in a residential rehabilitation environment.

Essential
:
Strong conflict resolution and mediation skills; ability to manage high‑emotion situations.

Desirable
:
Group facilitation and public speaking skills.

Essential
:
Deep understanding of the impact of addiction on the family unit.

Desirable
:
Knowledge of Trauma‑Informed Practice.

Essential
:
Relevant qualification in Social Care, Counselling, or Community Development.

SFAD Training: – Family Inclusive Practice, Introduction to Supporting Families, Facilitating a Support Group.

Desirable
:
Specialised training in Family Systems Theory.

This role operates within a continuous cycle of support that begins at admission and continues through to the transition home.

At River Garden, we believe recovery doesn’t happen in a vacuum. By supporting the family, we are strengthening the environment the resident will eventually return to, significantly increasing the chances of long‑term, sustained recovery.