Family Support Worker

Family Support Worker

Children and Young People's Services | St Helens Council

Post

Title:

Family Support Worker

Department:
Children and Young People's Services Department

Location:

St Helens

Job Purpose

To provide practical assistance to qualified Social Workers in helping, protecting and supporting children and families subject to statutory procedures within Children's Social Care services.

The Family Support Worker will provide direct support to children, young people and their families, contributing to assessments, delivering intervention programmes, supporting supervised Family Time arrangements, undertaking visits and maintaining accurate case records.

The role will involve working closely with Social Workers and partner agencies to promote the welfare, safety and positive outcomes of children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

Family Support and Assessments

Hold a caseload of Short Break reviews and undertake assessments of children and young people with disabilities.

Identify individual needs and contribute to the development and delivery of appropriate care and support packages.

Conduct home visits and direct work with children, young people and families to monitor welfare, assess home conditions and support positive outcomes.

Work alongside Social Workers to provide practical and direct support to families, including targeted interventions.

Build positive relationships with families, including those who may be reluctant to engage, using a range of approaches to develop trust and confidence.

Family Time and Direct Work

Facilitate and supervise Family Time sessions between children, young people and their families.

Support children and young people in maintaining positive relationships with their families, schools, communities and wider support networks.

Deliver practical support and intervention programmes in line with agreed care and support plans.

Undertake Family Time work during evenings where required.

Ensure children's experiences and wishes are appropriately recognised and communicated to the relevant professionals.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Maintain a strong safeguarding focus and demonstrate professional curiosity when working with children and families.

Recognise, respond to and report concerns relating to the welfare and safety of children and young people.

Respond effectively to challenging situations, following departmental policies, procedures and professional guidance.

Ensure the voice of the child remains central to assessments, care planning, reviews and interventions.

Promote children's participation and work towards achieving measurable outcomes.

Case Recording and Report Writing

Maintain accurate, timely and high-quality case records and data on the Liquid logic Children's System (LCS).

Ensure all records comply with statutory requirements, council procedures and case recording standards.

Prepare written reports for court proceedings, meetings, reviews and other statutory processes as required.

Support court-related work by providing evidence and supervising Family Time arrangements.

Liaise regularly with Social Workers and other professionals involved in assessment, planning and intervention.

Meetings and Multi-Agency Working

Attend and contribute to:

Child Protection Conferences.

Looked After Children (LAC) Reviews.

Family Action Meetings.

Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) meetings.

Other relevant multi-agency meetings and forums.

Develop effective working relationships with colleagues across Children's Services and partner agencies.

Establish and maintain productive partnerships with statutory, voluntary, community, specialist and universal service providers.

Support coordinated service delivery to promote positive outcomes for children and families.

Organisation and Professional Development

Manage competing priorities and workloads effectively, meeting deadlines and service requirements.

Work flexibly across different locations within St Helens to meet the needs of children, families and the service.

Be available for early mornings and evenings where required.

Participate in relevant training and continuing professional development.

Keep knowledge of legislation, policies and best practice within Children's Social Care up to date.

Contribute to team objectives through staff meetings, practice discussions and service development initiatives.

Share knowledge and skills with colleagues to support effective team working.

Essential Knowledge and Experience

The role requires an understanding of children's social care and the…