Family Support Worker in Barnsley

Position reference: 50136203

Directorate: Children’s Services | Service: Children & Family Social Care

Salary: £28,598 – £34,434 (Career grade)

Working Arrangements: Agile Working – Minimum 3 days in the office

This is a full‑time role. We are committed to supporting work–life balance, and requests for flexible working, including job share, will be considered in line with the needs of the service. Given the requirement for continuity of support to service users, any flexible working arrangements would need to ensure consistency in case management.

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

The successful candidate will be required to speak English to an appropriate standard. This post requires an Enhanced DBS Check. If you are currently living overseas or have lived overseas in the last five years please be aware, if you are the preferred candidate for the post, you will be required to apply for an overseas criminal records check from the country/countries you have resided in.

When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.

At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be. We’re an award‑winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees.

As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.

Key to our success is working with our residents, partners, businesses and organisations and building these partnerships to bring about change in Barnsley.

About The Post

This is an exciting time to join Barnsley Children’s Service as we’re a council that prioritises Children’s Services, and we want every child in the borough to achieve their full potential, to be safe and happy. Because we highly value the work of our staff, we’ve approved significant additional investment, creating more posts to support the valuable work undertaken by Family Support Workers.

You will receive regular supervision, appraisal, training, and development opportunities, all aimed at promoting outcomes for children and supporting your career development and progression. As part of this expansion, we are now looking to recruit a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and committed Family Support Worker to join our stable workforce.

As Family Support Worker, you will be based in the social work teams alongside social workers and will report directly to the Team Manager. The role will involve undertaking tasks identified by the lead social work practitioner to provide support and assistance to children and their families. The work will be diverse and responsive to the individual needs of children and families.

The role will include practical tasks as well as more specific direct work and emotional support. For example, you will have a role in leading and encouraging parent-child activities to promote attachment and child development, you will provide home visits and crisis support to families. You will undertake direct one-to-one work with children and their parents. You will build honest and open relationships with children and families and support parents to enable them to achieve change.

The successful candidate will be innovative, creative and have the interests of the child and family at the heart of their work. You will be committed and motivated, ensuring that children and their families are prioritised. You will have experience of developing positive working relationships with children and families. You will be familiar with strengths‑based approaches and will have strong clear professional boundaries.

You will need good written skills and excellent verbal communication skills. We are deeply committed to achieving the very best outcomes for vulnerable children and young people in Barnsley. Children and their families are at the centre of all that we do, and we are an Ofsted rated ‘Good’ authority, with high aspirations for our children and young people.

Why It’s Great To Work In Barnsley

• A highly competitive salary up to £34,434
• High quality regular supervision and support and a nurturing management team that encourages learning and development
• Flexible working arrangements
• A commitment to continuous professional development with a strong training and development offer for staff at all levels
• Good IT support and equipment
• A commitment to health and wellbeing and access to dedicated assistance programme

For an informal discussion contact Lisa Hutton at LisaHutton@barnsley.gov.uk or Alison Whittaker-Baines at AlisonWhittaker-Baines@barnsley.gov.uk

Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form. Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your application form how you meet the required criteria.

We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities. We’re committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves.

If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know. CVs are not accepted for this role. At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We’re committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.