Family Centre Worker in Basildon

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 12 months.

The Family Centre Worker will contribute to the running and development of the Family Centre, providing a range of options for families, individuals and groups, making a positive difference to the lives of children, and meeting the Function’s policies and priorities.

With experience of assessing, planning and delivering targeted work for children and their parents, the role will work closely with volunteers and professionals, building strong partnerships.

• Undertake direct work in partnership with children, young people, their families and other professionals, with clear plans, timescales, review and evaluation processes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, other agencies and professionals, contributing to comprehensive and multi-agency assessments of children and families, responding to assessed needs, planning, facilitating and leading group work programmes.
• Support Social Workers in the observation and assessment of the family functioning, with planned work designed to alleviate identified difficulties for both parents and children.
• Work in partnership with parents to develop their practical parenting skills and abilities, offering childcare services to enable parents to attend one-to-one and group sessions to address identified concerns.
• Develop and deliver programmes of work for children and families which support the development of their physical, intellectual, emotional and social potential.
• Develop and contribute to delivery of training for social workers around creative ways of engaging and working with children.
• Provide play opportunities that help children meet their emotional and developmental needs and which assist parent/child relationships.
• Undertake outreach work with families in the community, supporting them in crisis and assisting them in developing skills to cope with their daily lives and promote confidence and independence from professional support.

• A recognised RQF level 3 (A level) qualification in child care or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, with knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience of working with children, demonstrating a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of all relevant child care legislation, regulation and guidance.
• Experience of assessing, planning and delivering targeted pieces of work for children and their parents, with the ability to provide non-judgemental support and challenge.
• Experience of working closely with volunteers, professionals from other fields, outreach work and joint working with fieldwork teams.
• Experience of leading group work with children or families and parenting skills with parents.
• Knowledge of child development and understanding of effective interventions appropriate to assessed needs for parents, children and families.
• Ability to work with children across all age ranges, empowering them and their carers to enable full participation in the services of the family centre.

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. A driving licence and access to a vehicle or other means of satisfying the mobility requirements of the role is essential.

As part of employment with Essex County Council, if your role requires a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We are committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. We are also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.