Family Worker (Link Role) in Harlow

This role is within one of the well-established Harlow Family Solutions teams. The team prides itself in its supportive environment, valuing the contribution of all team members, and developing experience and skills. The work of a Family Worker Link role is complex, sometimes challenging, but always varied and rewarding.

Key aspects of the work include:

• Working closely with families to build strong relationships with all family members.
• Promoting positive change with families.
• Providing both practical and specialist advice as well as acting as a lead coordinator for additional support services where appropriate.
• Managing your own caseload.
• Managing safeguarding risks to children.
• Taking the lead on an area of professional practice for the team through supporting team members and liaising with professionals outside of Family Solutions.
• Operating flexibly, working out of normal office hours when required to best meet the needs of the family.
• Determining the direction and actions required in order to progress cases forward on a day-to-day basis; recognising when key decisions regarding risks/concerns need to be referred to the Team Manager or Practice Supervisor.
• Acting as a source of advice, guidance and support to colleagues in relation to the thematic role held in order to support case discussions and mentor and guide colleagues.
• Undertaking holistic assessments of family needs to help create intervention plans and identify how outcomes can be achieved that fully reflect the family and young person’s views and aspirations; delivering interventions, including group work programmes, to support families to make change.
• Facilitating complex family meetings, managing the potentially competing views of families and professionals, in order to find achievable solutions.
• Undertaking individual and group programmes of work to enable children and families to develop their skills to resolve issues and problems themselves; providing information and accompanying families to help access other local services.
• Providing specific practical, personal and emotional support to families in their homes or other settings as part of an agreed plan in order to achieve agreed and sustainable family outcomes.
• Actively participating in regular supervision in order to review work and ensure effective interventions for families.
• Ensuring that the principles of effective practice are fully embedded in service delivery; working collaboratively with staff and partners to ensure effective risk management in line with the thresholds of the Effective Support and Guidance document to ensure that the Family Solutions team understands and follows the SET child protection procedures.

Essential

• Educated to degree level preferred but minimum NVQ level 4 or equivalent by experience in relevant thematic specialism such as social work, Domestic Abuse, Substance Misuse, Education, Mental Health and Parenting.
• Significant practical experience of working with families with multiple and complex needs.
• Effective communication skills, good problem solving and assessment skills with a demonstrable track record of building and sustaining positive professional relationships with individuals and families with multiple and complex needs.

Desirable

• Experience of applying a solution focused approach and providing practical advice and support to families to enable them to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
• Ability to work in partnership with others to maximise outcomes for families in line with the Family Solutions operating principles.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and to use supervision appropriately.

Mobility: The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling across 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.

EEO and Safeguarding

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles during the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email sandra.middleton@essex.gov.uk.