Children and Families Support Worker – Best Start in Life Family Navigator in Northallerton

We are looking to recruit enthusiastic, resilient and highly motivated individuals to join our Children and Families Service as part of North Yorkshire’s ambitious Best Start in Life Programme. This is an exciting opportunity to support children and families during the crucial early years, helping them access the right support, at the right time, in their local communities.

As a Best Start in Life Family Navigator, you will work alongside children and families, particularly those with children aged 0-5, helping them access support through Best Start Family Hubs, community services and wider early help provision. You will play a key role in connecting families to local services, reducing isolation, promoting child development and strengthening family resilience.

Working alongside colleagues, health professionals, early years providers, schools, voluntary and community sector organisations, you will provide support and guidance to families, helping them navigate services and engage with opportunities that support positive outcomes for children. You will deliver targeted interventions, outreach activities and group work programmes focused on parenting, early language development, child development and school readiness.

North Yorkshire’s Children and Families Service has developed a highly effective Strength in Relationships Practice Model, and you will work within this strengths-based, relationship-focused approach, building on the strengths of children, families and communities to achieve sustainable change.

Can you demonstrate:

• Experience of working with children, young people and families.
• Knowledge of child development and the factors that influence children’s outcomes.
• An understanding of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• Experience of delivering activities, interventions or group work with children and families.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to motivate and support families to make positive changes.
• The ability to work collaboratively with partners and local communities.

It is an exciting time in Children and Young People’s Services in North Yorkshire as we continue to develop our Best Start in Life Programme, and wider Early Help offer. Alongside this, we are planning our approach to the Families First Partnership Programme and social care reforms. Work is underway to prepare for implementation from 2027 and, as a result, some future service realignment may take place. Posts will be based across North Yorkshire, with delivery taking place within Best Start Family Hubs, community venues, outreach locations and family homes. We promote flexible working where appropriate to support effective service delivery.

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Sue Wadsworth, Senior Early Help Consultant at sue.wadsworth@northyorks.gov.uk